I, Vampire #0Review

Joshua Hale Fialkov and Andrea Sorrentino have been showing up a majority of DC’s New 52 since its debut one year ago, and they’ve done it again by using the zero issue in the best way I’ve yet to see. Not only do they tell how Andrew Bennett became a vampire, but they infuse the telling with details small and large that answer burning questions any reader might have. Chief among them, how did Andrew get that sexy white stripe in his hair?

The eerie and dreadful feel of this series has never waned, and here Sorrentino makes it feel more intense than ever before. In the present Andrew has vampire powers to help him out, but we see him now as a youthful romantic with nothing but a skinny sword to ward off a monstrous vampire. Even though I knew his fate before opening the first page, Sorrentino’s chilling art style had me biting my lip in fearful anticipation as the inevitable teeth-sinking moment came to fruition.

Fialkov has blatantly detailed this event throughout his run, but he left just enough stones unturned that seeing it play out first hand becomes a rewarding experience. While many writers spell everything out, Fialkov and Sorrentino put emphasis on the art so that it enhances the story instead of providing a running commentary. The details of how Andrew becomes a vampire means something to the overall story, and that “ah-ha!” moment reverberates back to the main narrative, making this zero issue not only entertaining but essential.

Joshua is a writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter or IGN, but only if you are prepared to hear more about Darth Maul, Green Lantern, and Doop than you would ever care to know.

I, Vampire #0

Witness how Andrew Bennett became a vampire! Who was the monster that attacked him? How did his powers develop?